When you’re choosing a translation provider, a friendly conversation and an impressive client list can help you build a shortlist. But before you commit to working together for years, you need to know how that company handles your content, your deadlines, and your questions.

As a Language Service Provider (LSP), we encourage new clients to start with a small project that reflects the work you’ll send regularly.

There’s a good reason to take this seriously: CSA Research’s 2020 survey found that 76% of online shoppers prefer products with information in their native language.

Think about where translation matters most in your business. Your website, customer instructions, and employee training may need different skills.

Those needs should shape how you choose a translation provider, and what you ask them to prove during a trial.

Give Them A Realistic Test Project

You’ll learn more from translating a few pages of your actual content than from asking for a polished sample they’ve already prepared.

Choose something manageable that includes everyday wording alongside a few challenges, such as product terminology, formatting, or a phrase that needs cultural judgment.

A paid pilot gives you room to test the full service. Send each shortlisted provider the same material, deadline, and instructions so you can compare fairly. Include your audience, preferred tone, and any approved terminology.

Then watch what happens before translation begins. Do they ask useful questions? Have they noticed an unclear sentence? We see those conversations as part of managing multilingual translation projects.

You want someone who checks assumptions before they turn into expensive revisions. Ask whether the trial team would also handle your ongoing work.

Have Someone Qualified Review The Translation

If you don’t speak the target language, a document that looks complete can be reassuring. Unfortunately, neat formatting won’t tell you whether your warranty wording has changed meaning or your friendly introduction sounds strangely formal.

Arrange for an independent, qualified reviewer who understands your industry and target market. Ask them to assess accuracy, terminology, completeness, and tone. Give them the original brief, too, so they’re judging against the same expectations.

Agree on what counts as a serious error before reviewing. A missing safety instruction deserves a different response from a preference for another adjective. Ask the provider to explain its translation, editing, and proofreading process, including who checks whose work.

We’d also suggest looking at the finished file where customers will actually use it, since layout problems can make good wording difficult to follow.

Ask What Happens Behind The Scenes

During the pilot, ask how your files move through the company and who can access them. You should get understandable answers about storage, subcontractors, confidentiality agreements, and whether your content enters any AI tools.

This is a practical question in today’s industry. Slator’s 2025 linguist survey found that 76% of translators answering its AI-use question had used AI tools for their translation work. That doesn’t tell you how any particular provider works, so ask directly.

We’re comfortable with clients wanting details about technology and translation confidentiality. You should understand which tools are involved, what human review follows, and whether your information could be retained or used for training.

Request written confirmation that matches your business’s requirements before sharing sensitive material. Use redacted content while those arrangements are being settled.

See How They Handle Feedback And Deadlines

Once you’ve reviewed the sample, send back specific comments and ask for a revision. Perhaps a product name should stay in English, or your sales team prefers a more casual tone. You’ll learn plenty from how the provider responds.

They should explain their choices calmly, correct genuine mistakes, and record agreed preferences for future projects. We’d expect questions when feedback is unclear, especially if a requested change could alter the meaning.

Pay attention to timing as well. Did the files arrive when promised? Were you warned early about a delay? Did you spend your afternoon chasing an update?

When comparing translation costs, include the time your team spends coordinating, reviewing, and fixing the work. Ask which revisions, formatting tasks, and rush requests cost extra so your pilot invoice doesn’t come as a surprise.

Build Confidence Before You Sign

After one successful pilot, consider a second project with a different content type or a slightly larger workload. You’re looking for consistent results, especially if your eventual contract will cover several languages or departments.

Talk to a reference with similar needs and ask about everyday experiences, including how problems were resolved. Then put the arrangements you’ve tested into the agreement: review responsibilities, turnaround expectations, pricing, confidentiality, and a clear process for corrections.

Discuss ownership and access to glossaries and translation memories, which store previous translations for reuse. Those resources help a long-term translation partnership become more consistent over time.

We want you to feel comfortable asking questions now, while the relationship is still taking shape. A provider worth committing to should give you enough evidence to make that decision confidently.

Are you looking for the support of an LSP that will act as a long-term partner?, If so, we’d love to talk. Consultations are free and there’s no obligation. You’re in safe hands with us as we’re ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 compliant, have over twenty years of professional translation experience, and have earned the trust of organizations around the world.